Animating the Grand Rapids Development Scene

One of the largest riverfront revitalization projects in the U.S. is happening right here in downtown Grand Rapids – and Experience Grand Rapids is eager to show visitors what it will look like when it all comes together.

The challenge: the seven major developments we wanted to spotlight are all in various stages of progress, from concept drawings to construction to open for business.

The solution: Dream Grand and Grow, a 90-second video immersing viewers in an animated 3D tour blending the city’s current appeal with future enhancements.

Meet the Team

EXGR Vice President of Marketing Kate Lieto came up with the basic concept of the video: two kayakers paddling the Grand River in downtown GR as the new developments spring up around them. Video Media Manager Jack Stanley fleshed out the details – including a focus on just the next three years or so of development – and worked with Ada-based IDEOLOGY Productions, a frequent collaborator, to make the video come to life.

“We wanted this video to be unlike anything we or other Destination Marketing Organizations have done before,” says Stanley. “We also insisted that no Artificial Intelligence be used in the making of the video, because we wanted to support local creators, animators and other talent. This was a huge undertaking for IDEOLOGY, and they truly knocked it out of the park!”

It helped that IDEOLOGY is home to Michigan’s first virtual production studio, Golden Hour, which brings world-class tools and technology to West Michigan’s creative community. IDEOLOGY Creative Director Chris Marston, Producer Laura Burnell and Project Manager Kelsey Snider worked with staff animators Colin Craig, Josiah Wood, Jeremy Hagedorn, Andrew Smith and Jarod Jordan to essentially recreate downtown Grand Rapids from the ground up, depicting every existing building as faithfully as possible and translating construction drawings into accurate representations of future attractions. Collectively, animators spent more than 1,000 hours on the project.

Come Along for the Ride

The video begins with GR residents and local influencers Tia Ezel and Alice Jasper kayaking down the Grand River. The duo was first filmed in the actual river, but the footage didn’t turn out as well as hoped, so they and their kayaks were moved indoors, in front of a blue infinity wall. “With a little movie magic on IDEOLOGY’s part, we were able to make it seem as if Tia and Alice are floating on the Grand River in the heart of downtown,” explains Stanley. Actual drone footage of the river was incorporated to heighten realism. “Pretty cool, if I do say so myself.”

Tia, Alice and the viewers are then treated to animated views of the seven projects we chose to focus on. In order of appearance:

• The Grand River Restoration, a complex project to bring back the historic natural rapids to the Grand River, where they haven’t been seen (or heard) since the late 1800s and early 1900s. In-river construction on phase one of the project began in July 2026, and people walking along the Riverwalk can already hear the sound of rushing water. 

• Lyon Square, a public plaza along the Grand River that was completely reimagined with new river overlooks, lighting, greenspace, a snowmelt system and flexible event spaces. It opened in 2025 and was promptly recognized with the Michigan Association of Planning’s Excellence in Urban Design Award.

• Amway Stadium, an 8,500-seat multipurpose stadium that will open in March 2027 for the inaugural season of Athletic Club Grand Rapids (aka AC Grand Rapids), Michigan’s first MLS NEXT Pro soccer team.

• The Grand Rapids Public Museum, which in spring 2026 debuted a riverfront renovation including expanded public access to the river, outdoor learning environments, improved accessibility and enhanced connections to the Grand River Greenway. The Cook Carousel Pavilion housing the Museum’s popular 1928 Spillman Carousel was detached from the main building to streamline trail connections and the Carousel itself was upgraded with accessibility features.

• Fulton & Market, a mammoth, skyline-defining development set to include apartments, condos, office space, a boutique hotel and ground-floor retail. The project has secured a $561 million Transformational Brownfield plan grant from the Michigan Economic Development Corporation, and construction is expected to begin soon.

• Acrisure Amphitheater, a 12,000-seat amphitheater boasting one of the largest outdoor stages east of the Mississippi, opened in May 2026 and hosted 40+ concerts its first year – starting with Lionel Richie in May and closing with Dan + Shay in October. It also hosted community events such as the ArtPrize 2026 Awards Celebration and Fashion Show.

Along the journey, viewers see glimpses of riverfront trails that are part of the Grand River Greenway, an ongoing project to connect 85 miles of trails and 30+ parks through downtown Grand Rapids all the way to Grand Haven on the Lake Michigan coast.

A Labor of Love

Dream Grand and Grow is an extension of EXGR’s umbrella marketing campaign, Dream Grand and Go, and it continues our tradition of incorporating flights of fancy into our destination videos – from the rearing Da Vinci Horse in No Ordinary Town to the animated musical notes in Feeling Good. Whimsical touches in the new video include a herd of carousel horses “galloping” down the river to their place in the Public Museum’s upgraded Cook Carousel Pavilion.

The video is scored by local music and sound design artist Grant Floering, and the song “Brand New Me”, by Chicago-based artist/producer Zach Kranz, perfectly captures the spirit of the project … and of Grand Rapids’ continued growth and transformation.

“Every choice, from lighting to timing of the tiniest animation detail, came from experienced artists who care deeply about the work,” says Marston. “When you see this project, you’re seeing the passion, instinct and collaborative magic that only comes from people who genuinely care about the outcome.”

See the Big Picture

After almost a year in the making, Dream Grand and Grow was shown for the first time in public at a November 2025 meeting of The Economic Club of Grand Rapids. A number of city leaders and business owners attending were at least tangentially involved in the video creation process, as Lieto engaged development project stakeholders to confirm details and secure approvals.

“There are so many community organizations working hard on different aspects of these projects, but there was nothing that pulled it all together into a big picture,” says Lieto. “That’s what we wanted to accomplish with Dream Grand and Grow.”

Following its debut before The Economic Club, the video was shared via EXGR’s web and social media platforms, which connect with business and leisure travelers as well as residents.

“Our convention sales team is booking meetings and conferences two, three, four and five-plus years into the future, and we needed to show our meeting planner clients and the thousands of attendees they represent what they can expect,” explains Lieto. Dream Grand and Grow does that while helping community members better understand the scale and context of downtown’s transformation.

“We love how fun and unique this video turned out to be,” says Marston. “It’s not just a showcase of the city’s skyline. It’s an experience that captures Grand Rapids’ energy and character in a way that feels fresh and exciting.”

Creative and tourism industry associations agree: Since its launch in November 2025, the Dream Grand and Grow video has won a Gold Addy Award from the West Michigan chapter of the American Advertising Federation, a Gold eTSY Award from Connect Travel and a Governor’s Award for Innovative Tourism Collaboration from the Tourism Industry Coalition of Michigan (TICOM).

“I feel we have a video that puts us on par with destinations twice our size,” adds Stanley. “And I hope it makes our community proud!’